


Assumptions about Michelle Jones: Protesting

by RedUmbrella89



Series: Who is Michelle Jones? [7]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Awesome May Parker (Spider-Man), Character Development, Character Study, F/M, Mentioned Peter Parker, Michelle Jones-centric, POV Michelle Jones, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23916994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedUmbrella89/pseuds/RedUmbrella89
Summary: Michelle liked to protest. Michelle had gone to her first protest when she was nine years old. Her mother had taken her to a protest outside an animal testing lab and thus the protesting spark had been ignited in little MJ.Being a protester had just added to her difficult reputation at high school - whenever MJ mentioned protesting the response was usually the same rolled eyes and deep sighs. Too bad for them that the negative attitude just fueled her resolve to do her part harder.
Relationships: May Parker & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & May Parker (Spider-Man), Michelle Jones & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Series: Who is Michelle Jones? [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1477616
Comments: 3
Kudos: 43





	Assumptions about Michelle Jones: Protesting

**Author's Note:**

> This one is fairly short but will link into the next section and explores a new dynamic - MJ and May!

Michelle liked to protest. 

Her first one was when she was nine years old. Her mother had taken her to a protest outside an animal testing lab. They had remained on the outskirts of the group – MJ’s mother not letting her daughter get involved in the main throng – but the atmosphere had thrummed through Michelle all the same. Her mother had explained that people were voicing their objections to one of the pharmaceutical company’s policies – that of testing chemicals on animals. Michelle hadn’t fully understood what that meant but she knew that chemicals could be dangerous, and animals were cute so she hated that idea, and thus the protesting spark had been ignited in little MJ.

In the following years she had expanded her repertoire to include every kind of protest - she had stood alone outside embassy’s and joined small lock-ins, alongside attending large scale events with thousands of people. The largest one she had attended – and her favourite – was the Women’s March in DC.

Whenever MJ mentioned protesting the response was usually the same – rolled eyes and deep sighs – though occasionally people were excited and encouraged her fortitude, which was nice. The reaction at Midtown was usually the former – being a protester had just added to her difficult reputation at the high school. Michelle had heard the muttered responses of ‘big surprise there’ and ‘of course you are’ whenever she revealed that she was going to a protest and it saddened her that there still seemed to be a negative association with protesting, especially with kids her own age, as though wanting to stand up and be vocal about something one cared about was akin to being awkward and unnecessarily combative. 

Too bad for them that the negative attitude just fuelled her resolve to do her part harder, to speak louder. 

MJ had settled back into her life post Blip; she and her mum now called her aunt’s place home, school had returned to the usual monotonous rhythm and, best of all, she no longer woke up in a panic, imagining that her body was disintegrating but she was aware that there were still many people facing difficulties. Michelle wanted to help and the only real avenue that she knew of to try and elicit change and betterment for people was through a good protest and that is why Michelle was currently stood in a park, listening to a speaker talk passionately into a microphone.

It wasn’t so much a protest as a gathering but MJ, among with at least a dozen others, were live streaming the event to increase the awareness. MJ didn’t have the largest online following and she certainly wasn’t as proficient on social media as Flash but she was, as always, determined to do her part.

She was just finishing a conversation with a middle-aged gentleman who had agreed to share his story when a low rumble in her stomach drew her attention to the fact that it was mid-afternoon and she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. 

Quietly she picked her way through the groups of people and stopped her livestream - people didn’t need to see her ordering a sandwich. 

At her first couple protests Michelle had remained for the entire duration of the event, refusing to leave until it had ended. If she ran out of food or water she would deny herself the opportunity to replenish and only found a toilet when absolutely necessary. To do any less had felt half hearted, as though that meant she wasn’t serious about the issue. Now, however she had been to enough protests to know that her leaving for half an hour wouldn’t result in the collapse of the cause.

As Michelle walked through the park, she re-watched the video of the man she’d interviewed. He told the story of how he had re-appeared to find that his home – which incredibly he had owned – had been sold on to someone else and his sole family member at the time had sold all of his possessions and emigrated. He had no other family to call on and his friends were either in similar situations or already housing other homeless family members. He was currently in a bedsit and on a housing register with millions of other people. 

He looked thoroughly fed up and MJ couldn’t help feeling guilty. Everyone else at the protest were likely in similar situations. She felt like an imposter given how lucky she and her mother currently were with their living situation.

Her attention was so focused on her phone that MJ didn’t notice a woman walking towards her, also focused on her phone, and the two promptly collided, catching their shoulders and knocking the other back. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” The woman said, her voice laced with apology. “Oh, hi. It’s Michelle, right?”

MJ glanced up at the woman and surprise and mortification crossed her face as she recognised the lady in front of her.

May Parker wore a wide smile, seeming genuinely pleased to see Michelle. Peter’s aunt laughed lightly – MJ remembered that she laughed a lot – and tucked some of her long hair behind an ear.

“What a coincidence. How are you?” May asked. Her whole demeanour was open and earnest, and MJ was reminded so strongly of Peter - the similarity he had to his aunt, in regard to personality, was astonishing. MJ could only imagine that his uncle – and most likely his parents – must have been much the same.

MJ glanced away from May, feeling uncomfortable under her warm gaze. “I’m okay, Mrs Parker. How are you?” she asked in return. 

“Call me May, Michelle,” May said and she gently touched MJ’s arm. It was such a friendly gesture and delivered so casually that MJ marvelled at how easy it seemed for Peter’s aunt to exude such warmth. “Or is it MJ? Peter said that you prefer to be called that,” May said. 

“Either’s fine,” MJ said, ignoring the little flutter in her stomach at hearing that Peter had talked about her.

MJ had met May before but only in short bursts, like when she had come to pick Peter up or she had come to watch one of their decathlon tournaments and this was the first time she had seen the woman since they had returned from dust. MJ had visited Peter’s apartment once or twice recently with Ned to hang out, but May had always been out. 

_‘Of course he would have mentioned me, we are friends now,’_ MJ thought to herself, applying logical reason as to why Peter would have mentioned her. It would have been in the same context in which he talked about Ned. 

MJ was about to excuse herself when her stomach growled, loudly and MJ wrapped her arms around her waist, mortified at the volume of it. 

“I was just heading to get some food,” MJ said meekly.

“Oh, here, would you like a bagel?” May asked and she immediately reached into the large shopping bag by her side. It was filled the brim with dozens of bagels and MJ marvelled at the quantity. 

After a couple of moments May stood up and presented her with a couple of options.

“Would you like poppyseed or onion?”

“Um, it’s okay, I can get something from the deli,” MJ said, gesturing vaguely down the street. 

“But won’t you miss the protest?” May asked and MJ blinked in surprise. “I assumed that’s where…Peter said you’re quite the activist and with a protest happening over there, I just assumed…either way, here take them, I have plenty,” May said and proceeded to place both bagels in MJ’s hands. 

“Yeah, that’s a lot in there,” MJ said, indicating the bag.

May laughed again, nodding her head. “Well, feeding a teenage boy can be quite the challenge.”

MJ just nodded. She could imagine, especially if said teenage boy was also a part time superhero. MJ suddenly wondered…if Peter were indeed Spiderman then would May know about it? Surely, she would, given that she lived with him. 

“What is the protest about?” May asked, pulling MJ from her musings. 

“Oh, erm, the lack assistance from the Mayor’s office in re-homing people from the Blip. I don’t know how much it’ll help but hopefully by making our voices heard more people will take notice.”

“Are you homeless at the moment Michelle?” May asked.

“No, I live with my aunt but, every little bit helps so…” MJ trailed off, the feeling of guilt returning stronger as she realised, she had made it sound like she was one of the displaced homeless. Those people in the park, like the man she’d spoken to, were in far worse situations than she was and, to have lumped herself in with them and claimed their suffering for her own, MJ felt a little ashamed. 

“That’s true,” May said, not aware of MJ’s inner turmoil. “I actually help run an organisation that is assisting with homelessness from the Blip and, if you don’t mind…” May dug around in her large shoulder bag to produce a wad of flyers. “Would you be able to hand these out to some of the people at the protest? I don’t have time to do it myself right now but if anyone there needs help, if you could let them know we are available to them that would be great.”

“Yeah, sure,” MJ said, and she took the flyers from May. As she looked at the content a sudden idea struck her and, taking her chance, she blurted, “um, do you need any help, maybe? Like, with volunteers.”

May smiled wide. “Absolutely, we’ve just set up a new shelter and I’m sure extra hands would be appreciated. If you message Peter, he can give you the details of when we could use you,” May said, her signature smile back in full force. 

“Okay, I will.” 

May seemed to hesitate for a moment before leaning forwards and giving MJ a quick hug. 

“Thank you,” she said but MJ felt that all of the gratitude was on her side. May had presented MJ with another way to fight her cause and she felt excited at the opportunity – an excitement that quickly escalated when she realised it could mean more time spent with Peter. 

May left her after that, reiterating that MJ should message Peter, and MJ headed back to the crowd, taking a bite of one of the bagels.

**Author's Note:**

> There is a definite undertone of 'May Parker is awesome' in this short but I have no regrets - I love MCU May Parker - and it all leads into the next section which is a bit different as it will be of MJ from Peter's point of view!


End file.
